Dancing the Death Drill

By

Paris, 1958. An Algerian waiter at the famous restaurant La Tour d’Argent is convicted of the murder of two customers. As he is awaiting trial, his long-time friend Jerry Moloto helps an opportunistic and ambitious journalist build a case to defend him.

Through Jerry’s testimony the reader discovers that the waiter is actually Pitso Motaung, a mixed race South African drafted to fight in the First World War. He is also one of the few remaining survivors of the SS Mendi tragedy, which saw the formidable warship sink off the coast of the Isle of Wight, killing 646 people, including many black South African soldiers. So how did a brave soldier become a criminal and will Pitso’s name be cleared before it is too late?

Commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi, Dancing the Death Drill is a timely novel about life and the many challenges it throws our way.

COVER REVEAL for Dancing the Death Drill

Fred Khumalo has taken to social media to reveal the two covers for his new novel Dancing the Death Drill. The novel is being published by Jacaranda Books in the UK in association with Penguin Random House South Africa and the author has revealed how the two publishers have packaged his novel, showing a clear synergy between the two houses and a unified vision.

Online Book Reviews

Bev B.: Fred, I don’t know how, but you made this very personal, page-turning, gripping, and unique. I loved every word.

Frank F.: When the proverbial fat lady sang, Fred Khumalo created for the reader an everlasting image of defiance in the face of death. Pitso’s story, however, doesn’t end with the ship’s.

Moira de S.: While the accuracy is excellent, it is the human drama of the book that makes it so readable.

Brian J.: Even though it is fiction, Dancing the Death Drill is a worthy addition to the little known narrative of the SS Mendi. It is well written and you will find it hard to put down. It would make a dramatic movie.

Meet the author

Fred Khumalo is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction from Durban, South Africa. Khumalo’s work has appeared in various publications, including the Sunday Times, the Toronto Star, New African magazine, the Sowetan and Isolezwe. His books i …

Reviews

I have set myself a project for the four years of the centenary of World War 1 to read or re-read some of the writing, both fiction and non-fiction, that has emerged from that extraordinary conflict. Now I can add a fine South African novel to the list. Margaret von Klemperer – Sunday Times Books Live, South Africa